


Independence Day

by SweetHermitress



Category: Welcome to Night Vale, wtnv
Genre: Fluff, Independence Day - Freeform, M/M, not in Night Vale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-10
Updated: 2016-07-10
Packaged: 2018-07-22 17:16:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7447444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SweetHermitress/pseuds/SweetHermitress
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thanks to tumblr user @sexybaldwin for giving me the idea for this.  Carlos convinces Cecil to go to the beach, hoping the experience will convince Cecil to leave Night Vale long enough to visit his family.  This is towards the beginning of their relationship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Independence Day

Cecil took a look at the crowded car, unsure how he was going to fit himself in the passenger seat. “Are you sure we need all this, Carlos?”

Carlos was wedging a cooler in beside some scientific equipment, his brow knit in concentration but smiling all the while. “Of course, Cecil. A scientist is always prepared. Besides, it’s better for us to be set for any eventuality for our first road trip.”

Independence Day was upon them, and Carlos suggested they celebrate by visiting the beach. It was something Carlos had wonderful childhood memories of doing, and he wanted to share that joy with Cecil. Cecil, always nervous about leaving Night Vale, had suggested they go to the Night Vale Harbor and Waterfront instead, but Carlos was insistent. His persistence paid off, and he got Cecil to agree to a day trip to a small tourist town in Mexico right on the Sonoran coast. Thankfully passports in Night Vale were eternal, so Cecil didn’t need to renew his (except to put fresh blood or hair clippings on the pages, which was simple enough), and Carlos had his renewed after moving in with Cecil. Pulling out of the driveway while the sun was only just cresting, the Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lived in Their Home waved goodbye to them and they were on their way.

Carlos was comfortable in his swim trunks and swim-labcoat, but he was nervous. He needed this trip to go well. Cecil was so skittish around leaving Night Vale, Carlos still hadn’t convinced him to come home and meet his family. Carlos desperately wanted to bring Cecil home to his mother to get her approval, but he’d never be able to do that if he couldn’t pry Cecil out of Night Vale occasionally. This day trip was a test run of getting Cecil comfortable with leaving town.

And what better way than with a trip to the beach? Carlos had fond memories of the beach, which his family went to frequently, especially before Carlos’ father had died. Independence Day was ideal, as there were plenty of things to do – and those fireworks in the evening? Of course they would convince Cecil to come home with him over Christmas to meet his family. Carlos was telling Cecil all about the small town.

“It’s scientifically a very nice place. Not as big as Night Vale, but a few tourists come every year. The locals are used to Americans coming in from over the border, so they set off fireworks for the Fourth.”

“I was wondering why a Mexican town celebrated our Independence Day,” Cecil admitted.

“It’s a nice personal touch. The man who used to be in charge of it was friends with my father, and he’d always sneak us sparklers, and my parents would pretend to be annoyed with him but would always let us have our fun. Sometimes we’d even get to set off firecrackers.” Carlos could feel himself smiling. “I have a lot of happy memories of this little town.”

The drive itself was unremarkable, assuming you overlooked the reappearance of ghost-cars along Route 800, which of course they did. But when they got to the beach, it was already full of tourists. Carlos was agog. He didn’t remember nearly so many people when he visited as a child. There didn’t seem to be a square foot that wasn’t covered with people. No matter – they’d make the best of it.

“Well,” he said to Cecil, summoning his cheeriest voice, “Let’s set up camp.”

When they opened the trunk they discovered the ice water from the cooler had leaked all over the inside of the trunk and all over Carlos’ lab equipment. Carlos couldn’t help but let loose a string of Spanish curse words. Even worse than the fact that the equipment was now broken, this meant that his plan to perform tests on the sea water were dashed. He exhaled heavily, then took in air, puffing up his chest. No matter. This was just an excuse to get new equipment when they got back to Night Vale. He just hoped Cecil wouldn’t be too bored without the tests.

They gathered the cooler, beach bag, and beach chairs and picked their way through the crowd. The sand burned hot under their toes, and they practically danced until they found a small patch next to the public barbecue grates where they could set up their chairs. It was close to lunch time anyway, so while Cecil slathered himself with sunscreen, Carlos opened the cooler and pulled out the hotdogs. It was only then that Carlos realized he had forgotten to bring charcoal and tools for the grill. No matter – someone had helpfully left some… As well as bits of undetermined meat stuck to the grill. Carlos sighed. Well, they were hungry and they needed to eat something, so it would have to do. Carlos’ fingers, burned from various chemicals over the years, still felt singed as he carefully tried to flip the hotdogs.

“Carlos, don’t burn yourself,” Cecil piped up.

“I’m fine,” he insisted.

“We could buy something,” Cecil suggested.

Sucking on his fingers after shoving a hotdog into a bun, Carlos smiled. “Why would we need to? They’re already cooked!”

Cecil looked at them dubiously. Carlos tried to ignore the fact that the hotdogs were mostly black on the outside. It was just part of the charm of cooking outside. Cecil took a bite, waited a beat, then forced a satisfied hum. Carlos quirked an eyebrow. He knew by now when Cecil was just trying to please him. He took a bite of his own and immediately discovered the problem. The hotdogs were still cold on the inside. Carlos swallowed hard. No matter, he told himself. They had money to buy dinner later, and cold hot dogs never hurt anybody anyway.

Trying to forget the disaster of the grill, Carlos settled into his chair next to Cecil. They had both brought municipally-approved books, but Cecil was clearly more interested in people-watching. There was no shortage of a show for him, and multiple times people stepped into what Carlos would have considered their zone. It irritated him, but after all, the beach was crowded.

Finally they had waited long enough that Carlos felt it was scientifically safe for them to go swimming. Before they left, Cecil had expressed some concern, as he had only ever gone swimming in the high school gym and Old Woman Josie’s above ground pool, never the ocean. Carlos simply took that as something he’d be introducing his boyfriend to, and he was secretly congratulating himself on being able to share that with Cecil.

They pranced their way across the hot sand and finally they were at the shoreline. Cautiously, Cecil waded in up to his knees. Carlos smiled and followed him. Cecil laughed nervously and waded in further, then laughed some more and splashed Carlos. They frolicked a bit like this, never going in further than waist-deep, but having just as much fun as any of the children in the water. After a time Carlos tilted his head and realized something.

“Cecil, you’re all red.”

Cecil stopped in his tracks and looked down at his arms. “My sunscreen must have washed off. I better put some more on.” He paused for a kiss as he waded past Carlos and on to the shore. Carlos grinned. They’d had a rocky start, but the day was finally starting to look up.

Suddenly, Cecil yelped. Startled, Carlos ran after him. Cecil had dropped to the ground and was holding his foot, which was a bright red.

“What happened?” Cecil was gasping, “I was just walking…”

Carlos looked down and saw the answer. “You stepped on a jellyfish.”

Cecil paled. “Carlos, it really hurts.”

“Well, you know what they say will fix that.”

Cecil shook his head.

Blushing and lowering his voice, Carlos replied, “They say it helps if you pee on it.”

Cecil looked aghast. “Carlos, that’s disgusting!” he cried out.

Carlos shrugged. “It’s the quickest solution, I didn’t say it was a pleasant one.”

Shaking his head, Cecil moaned. “It really hurts, Carlos!”

Looking around desperately for another solution, Carlos spotted a little cabana serving drinks. That was it: vodka neutralized a jellyfish sting. Telling Cecil to wait there, he ran across the hot sand to the cabana.

“Please, sir,” he said in Spanish, “my boyfriend got stung by a jellyfish, and I need vodka.”  
The bartender didn’t even look up as he grabbed the bottle of vodka. He then quoted a price for the bottle that was at least three times the cost of what it would have cost at the store.  
“What?! That’s highway robbery!”

 

The bartender started to put the bottle away. “I guess your boyfriend’s sting isn’t too bad then.”

Huffing, Carlos pulled out his wallet and shelled out the money. He grabbed the bottle and ran back to Cecil, who was turning redder by the moment. He poured the vodka over Cecil’s sting, and slowly Cecil began to recover. He smiled weakly at Carlos, and the two of them slowly made their way back to their chairs. Cecil was reapplying his sunscreen – a vain gesture since he was already red as a beet – and Carlos looked around morosely. The lab equipment, the hotdogs, now a jellyfish and an overpriced remedy: This trip was a disaster. Resisting the urge to down the rest of the bottle of vodka, Carlos buried his nose in his book. Cecil tried to get him to talk a few times, but he only responded with grumbles.

By and by, dusk fell. Cecil quietly said he was going to go buy them dinner. Carlos merely nodded. What a mess he’d made of things. Now Cecil would never want to leave Night Vale long enough to meet his family. Getting his family’s approval of his Cecil was so important to him, and while they could speak on the phone, it wasn’t the same as meeting in person. His mother was getting older and less apt to travel herself. What if she never got to meet Cecil? He sighed. It was just like him to ruin something that should have been so simple.

It had been some time, and Cecil still hadn’t returned. Carlos looked around, starting to get nervous. What if he had gotten lost? Carlos didn’t know what sort of town this was now that it was so crowded – what if it had gotten dangerous? Panic began to rise in him.

When he felt a tap on his shoulder, he jumped, then heaved a breath of relief when he saw it was Cecil, fish tacos in each hand. As Cecil handed him one, he said. “You were gone a while. I was starting to get worried.”

“I’m sorry, Carlos. I just needed to get something.”

His mouth already full of taco, Carlos asked “What?”

Cecil unbuttoned the pocket of his swim trunks, then pulled out a lighter and two sparklers. Carlos stared at him dumbly. Cecil grinned sheepishly.

“On the car ride here you said you always had them.” He shrugged, still grinning. “I hope they didn’t get too wet in my pocket.”

Carlos swallowed. “Cecil. That’s the sweetest thing you could have done. Thank you.” He gave him a peck on the cheek, and somehow despite the sunburn, he could see Cecil was blushing.

Cecil sat down in his chair and leaned on Carlos’ shoulder, biting into his own taco. “Oh Carlos,” he said between chews, “everything has been so wonderful today.”

Carlos started. “Wonderful?”

Cecil sat up. “Yes! I mean, I feel awful your equipment got ruined, and that jellyfish sting really hurt! But…” He looked out at the crashing waves. “Carlos, I’ve never seen the ocean before! I mean, I guess I flew over it when I went to Europe, but I’ve never really seen it, you know? And just spending this time with you, where you spent so many happy memories… I hope we’ve made a happy memory too. And I hope we can tell your mother about it when I go see her at Christmas.

Carlos felt his heart swell. He kissed Cecil gently on the lips. “That’s made this the happiest memory.”

Cecil smiled, and the sky lit up with neon colors and boomed. The fireworks had just started. Leaning back on Carlos’ shoulder, Cecil fiddled with the lighter and, after a few tries, lit the sparklers in their hands. He kissed Carlos again.

“Happy Independence Day, Carlos.”


End file.
